Student Innovation Incubator (SII)

Overview

From idea to venture. From student to founder.


The Student Innovation Incubator (SII) is where USF students build real startups. Bring your own idea, or pick up a USF technology and run with it, either way, you get mentors, workspace, and a cohort of other student founders to help you turn it into something real. Open to undergraduate and graduate students in every major.

 

Applications Open June 1, 2026

APPLY
Choose Your Pathway
Student Founder

Student Innovator (I2I)
For students with their own business idea, product, or service. For students who want to build a startup around an existing USF technology.
You’ll set goals, work with mentors, and go through hands-on workshops to take your idea from rough concept to launch. You’ll pick from a list of USF technologies and figure out how to turn one into a real product — by talking to customers, building a business model, and testing what works.

“Entrepreneurship isn’t just about creativity — it’s about clarity. The incubator helped me take an idea that was messy and internal and turn it into something organized, clear, and presentable.”

Melina Korovessi, Founder CapCycle Creations

What You'll Get

  • Mentors who’ve actually built startups and worked in industry
  • Hands-on practice in business models, customer interviews, pitching, and testing your ideas
  • Workspace and meeting rooms at USF CONNECT in the USF Research Park
  • A cohort of other student founders to build alongside
  • Pitch competitions, networking events, and connections into Tampa’s startup scene

About

The USF Student Innovation Incubator was developed by USF CONNECT in partnership with the Florida High Tech Corridor and Hillsborough County, in collaboration with the USF Nault Center for Entrepreneurship.

Questions? Contact us at SII@usfconnect.edu